Tag: war

Like many Millennial and Gen X New Zealanders of my generation, my knowledge of New Zealand’s nuclear history has been told through my parents’ stories. My mum protested after the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior in the 1980s and my dad traveled throughout the Middle East when the Soviet Union was the dangerous part of the world to travel to. But aside from studying these events and time periods in high school history, I have little firsthand knowledge and understanding of the impact nuclear weapons have had on our society. Despite the Soviet Union collapsing only a few years before I was born, I really have no idea what it was like to live in a society which feared nuclear war.

We don’t really appreciate how lucky we are to live in an isolated country where exposure to nuclear weapons is unlikely. We don’t live in fear, although being nuclear-free is a big part of our identity. Our generation is actually largely apathetic towards nuclear issues as we feel the war has already been won. It’s hard to imagine the destruction which these types of weapons have caused the planet or to imagine that we could still potentially experience it again in our lifetimes.

Sculpture depicting St. George slaying the dragon. The dragon is created from fragments of Soviet SS-20 and United States Pershing nuclear missiles. UN Photo/Milton Grant

The Cold War is over, the arms race is over. Despite this, there is still a risk that nuclear weapons will continue to pose a threat to the world. They are difficult to disarm in a way which ensures their very existence is a continuing threat. In the wrong hands, one nuclear weapon has the potential to destroy the world as we know it, hence the need for disarmament and neutralization of nuclear weapons. As much as they may form part of a state’s identity and sense of pride, they pose grave danger to the rest of the world.

While nuclear energy can also form a crucial aspect of a state’s energy reserves, it can too pose a grave danger if left unchecked. Nuclear disasters such as Chernobyl and Fukushima demonstrated the deadly and destructive power of nuclear energy, even when they are not weaponized. The nuclear forces of today are hundreds of times more powerful than the weaponized bombs of World War II, and could destroy our planet with a mere press of a button.

Lest we forget – words etched into the minds of every kiwi, from their first ANZAC day, until their last. This year marks the 102nd ANZAC Day. A day where communities across Australia and New Zealand come together to remember those who have served not only in World War One, but in every conflict since. It is a day in which we as a country stand in unity, where we can all reflect on the past regardless of how different our backgrounds may be. Over the past century ANZAC Day has become a day of New Zealand patriotism, and on this day thousands of Kiwis will attend services all across the country to not only show their respect, but to teach the next generation about our nation’s history.

The ANZACs were a force of young men fighting for what they believed in. In the wake of a range of questionable strategic decisions, 18,000 young men left our shores with 3,000 never returning. These were men sent to the front lines with little training and no experience, unprepared for the warzone ahead. Those who survived the Gallipoli offensive returned scarred, physically and mentally, just grateful to be alive. There was no glory to be found in Gallipoli. 44,000 allied men died trying to follow what they were told was the road to freedom and 87,000 Ottoman soldiers died defending their homeland from foreign invaders. Gallipoli bore no winners yet the effects of those fateful 8 months are still felt today. On the 25th of April, we do not gather to celebrate the actions of the ANZACs yet instead commemorate their lives and remember the legacy they left behind.

The ANZAC spirit is one of endurance, courage and determination. Faced with adversity, thousands of young kiwis rose to the occasion, presented with challenges they battled through. The ANZAC spirit is embodied by our nature as a population to work hard for what we believe in. Isaac Newton once said, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” We will forever stand on the shoulders of the ANZACs.